


Prolix

by siruru



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Elementary School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Crush at First Sight, Developing Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Puppy Love, Reader-Insert, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 09:10:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14931377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siruru/pseuds/siruru
Summary: Sometimes, the parts you think are the worst, are the ones people think are the best.





	Prolix

**Author's Note:**

> This is for @redgillan‘s birthday challenge. this isn’t the best, but it’s still kind of cute. writing this, i sort of imagine it with skinny steve, but you can choose which ever one is your fav. 
> 
> Pormpt: Rambling
> 
> Please enjoy and feedback is always welcomed.

Steve Rogers wonders if you remember the first time you met sometimes because it’s clear as day to him. It was during the teachers’ orientation a few years back, you two were the only new ones on board and while you didn’t talk much, there was an aura about you that made him gravitate towards you. Then you spoke.

_ “I hope to teach children to just be themselves and have a space where they can imagine anything. There are things they don’t understand or might scare them,  and I want to show them, coming from a place love, that they can be anything and everything!” _

You ramble for a bit more before nodding and sitting down, though none seems to take your speech heart but Steve Rogers knows he has to get to know you better, to be part (even a little) of such a bright light.  

* * *

 

It’s takes Steve a good long while for you to take notice of him, even longer than that for you to openly talk about your emotions and just daily things you enjoyed. He had learned early on that you were more comfortable talking with children and even better at connecting with them when using Miss. Meow, a small black cat puppet you used from time to time. With adults, you tended to fidget and stumble over words, he would learn later on that you practiced a lot in order to be able to talk to parents and staff though once you got the ball rolling, you were unstoppable. It was a long road, but Steve was too stubborn to give up.

He’s rewarded a year into knowing you.

“G-Good morning, Steve,” a voice squeaks out behind him that he almost doesn’t catch it.  As his blue eyes turn to see you standing next to him, a huge grin blooms onto his face, as he returns the greeting. You guys gather your things in the main office in silence, but once you start heading towards your respective classrooms --that’s when he tries it. 

“How was your weekend?” he asks cautiously, unsure of what reaction he might get. Steve’s heart flutters when he sees the bright smile and flushed cheeks you give in the pure excitement of the memory you begin telling him. 

“Good! I went to the zoo with my sister and her family. My nephew…” you start going forward with your recollection and towards your sudden openness, Steve falls a bit more.    

* * *

 

It was unsightly thing. It’s one of those things that parents tell their children to grow out of since it doesn’t show a strong sense of character, at least that’s how your parents were. They were people that preferred the silence of their children and it didn’t help that you were the most hyperactive one of your siblings when something caught your attention -- asking a million questions, wanting to talk about the things you had learned about a subject over time. Your parents didn’t discourage learning, but they didn’t like the space you tried to take up with your excessive talking when they had a million others things to deal with and three other children to raise. 

Through the years, you only found more people that made you struggle with speaking your mind until you only talked when it was really necessary, and maybe it was also because of this that you decided to become an elementary school teacher. You wanted to give kids the space and time that you hadn’t gotten as a child, and it showed in how your class loved you for as some of the little ones sometimes stayed inside during recess to ask you --specifically Miss. Meow-- that they needed answers after a lesson.

That’s how Steve Rogers finds you, as the last kid in your class is sitting next to you, talking with the small child through the small black cat puppet that you are so fond of. She’s talking all about newest sibling, a baby boy, that seems to be taking all the attention in her house.

“Meo-w, I’m sure mommy and daddy love ya very much,” he watches you talk softer than usually, as the little girl’s eyes light up, “But, babbies need extra help. They can’t everything you can! You’re special like that.”

“Yes!” the girl laughs as the puppet wiggles its nose in her direction. All of you are too invested in what’s going on and don’t notice the girl’s father call her name from the door facing the outside playground. The father smiles, as he must have overheard the conversation, as your student gives the cat socket puppet a hug before running to her father, as they both say goodbye. You watch for a moment, as Steve comes inside and clears his throat.

“That was sweet of you,” Steve declares, as you put the small animal back into your desk drawer and nod. You and Steve had started working in this elementary school at around the same time and stuck like glue since orientation, though you looked over kindergarten and preschool aged children and he taught the 3rd graders. You were both quite individuals, but something between the two of just sparked, which lead to some rambling from your side more often than not.

“Thanks,” you start of softly as you walk over to him, “Maggie’s parents just had another baby and while he’s the cutest, she said it, not me. She’s been feeling down from the lack of attention, especially since she’s more accustomed to her mother being there than her father. I know the feeling, but hopefully I helped a little.” 

You stop and cover your mouth with your hand, a habit Steve knows by heart now though he doesn’t like seeing it, as much as you didn’t like seeing being so stubborn sometimes, though he fought and worked a lot to see his classroom built on the ideas of respect and kindness.  

“I’m sorry I ramble a lot,” you sigh, as Steve shakes his head having heard the same line a hundred times before and knowing exactly how to calm you down. 

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” he says like he has done so before, because in all this time it was one of the things he liked about you the most. Maybe, it was time he finally told you that, “It’s actually kinda of cute.”

“ _ Oh _ , thank you,” you manage to squeak out in embarrassment because it really did surprise that Steve could like that part of you. You had known each other for a good while now, but there were things that you were still afraid to show someone who you harbored feelings for, especially if he found them displeasing. You never had to hide from Steve, gentle and kind as always, but the fear from all those years still rattled in your head.

There is an awkward silence between the two of you after that declaration as he gives out an strangled cough and you feel your cheeks growing warmer. Your heart speeds up because you had never heard someone call this strange side of your personality “cute” before and while you did like Steve, this changed the whole game -- you really wanted to know more about him outside of the friendship you had built and about all the little quirks  _ he  _ had -- maybe even fall in love with them as well. However, he takes your silence as something else, as he rubs the back of his neck with sad smile on his face.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t--” he starts off, his voice more strangled than usual as blue eyes turn downcast to the floor below. You quickly shake out of your inner monologue and smile, though he doesn’t see it.

“Let’s go on a date!” you declare suddenly into the empty classroom, clasping your hands together as he stops talking and looks at you in disbelief. 

“ _ What?”  _ is all he can manage to say in his sudden confusion. You grin at how adorable he looks at the moment. 

“I’m guessing by that statement that you like me in more than a ‘friend way’,” you explain as you see his face slowly turning red, “And I’ve felt that sort of way for awhile now too, and if you don’t mind my rambling...We should try going out, no?”

“You’re right, and yeah...yeah,” he nods with a huge smile on his face before taking your hand into his, rubbing small circles into the center of your palm, “And your rambling, it’s the best part of you. The very first reason you caught my attention in the first place.” 

It was your turn to blush.

“Then, maybe it’s not so bad after all.”    

And on your first date, you can’t help the silly smile on your face over Steve’s constant rambling about anything while blushing the entire time. 


End file.
